Method of making imitation-wood articles



Dec. 28, 1926.

H. D. GEYER METHOD OF MAKING IMITATION WOOD ARTICLES Filed Feb. 18 1925 m if ' 2. a? 3' 3mm Harve/ 17.66 yer Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENr OFFICE.

'HARVEY D. GEYER, OF DAY'JPON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE INLAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METHOD OF MAKING IMITATION-WOOD ARTICLES.

Application filed February 18 1925. Serial No. 10,154.

This invention relates to a method of reproducing wood grain on sheet celluloid and of covering cores of the desired shape with such wood grained celluloid wherebv imitation wood grained articles are ma c.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and efiicient' method of reproducing .wood grain from an actual wood surface upon' a sheet of celluloid.

Another ob'ect is to provide a simple method of covering a core with such grained sheet to produce an imitation wood article.

Further objects. and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of the method of making hard rubber garnish molding with an outer covering of wood grained celluloid according to this invention. It is to be understood that by the term celluloid, as herein used in the specification and claims, is intended any nitrocellulose compound which may be marketed under various trade names but whicli has the general properties of the well known celluloid. One such nitrocellulose compound well adapted for the method of this invention is marketed under the widely advertised trade name of pyralin In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically one step in the method of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of garnish molding made according to this invention.

Fig. 3 is a View slmilar to Fig. 2 but shows a slight modification.

In the manufacture according to this invention of a six foot strip of imitation walnut garnish molding suitable for the interior trimming of automobile bodies the wood grain is first applied to a six foot strip of transparent celluloid in the following manner: A strip of walnut veneer 10 selected as the grain to be reproduced is glued to'the cylindrical surface of a large wooden roller 11 about two feet indiameter so that the grain thereof runs peripherally around the roller. A black grain coating of nitrocellulose lacquer is applied to the surface of the veneer 10 on the. roller and scraped while wet with a knife edge, or any other suitable device, to remove the'black coating from the high spots in the wood surface but leaving the black coating in the grain depressions thereof. A transparent strip of sheet celluloid 15 of the desired width has depressions in the wood surface and the remaining areas of the celluloid strip will remain transparent. This black grain coatingd on the celluloid strip is then allowed to ry.

A back-ground coating of nitrocellulose lacquer of walnut shade (brown) is then applied over theblack grain coating on the celluloid, the grain and brown coatings together giving a true reproduction of the walnut wood when viewed from the uncoated side of the transparent celluloid.

The wood grained celluloid strips after being prepared in the above described manner may next be applied as an outer decorative casing toa core of hard rubber stock made in the desired shape and. cross section for garnish molding (see Figs. 2 and 3). For this purpose the celluloid strip is preferably softened with steam to render it flexible, and the coated surface thereof is preferably softened with a suitable solvent,

such as amyl acetate, and the celluloid strip firmly applied around the rubber core 20. If desired the edges of the celluloid strip may be overlapped a' short distance on the bottom side of the garnish molding and an overlap weld made by the nitrocellulose solvent (amyl acetate) (see Fig. 2). This solvent will also soften the brown coating of nitrocellulose lacquer which will=thus give a firm bond between the celluloid casing and hard rubber core 20.

If desired, the hard rubber core may be made with a somewhat oughened surface in order to facilitate the adhesion of the softened celluloid casing thereto.

The garnish molding made by the above method may be easily nailed or screwed inplace when used in trimming automobile bodies. Since the imitation wood coatings lie on the under side of the transparent celluloid casing they are protected thereby,

I and hence the finish is much" more permanent than where the finish lies upon the exposed surface.

While for illustrative purposes, this invention has been described ;in detail in the manufacture of garnish molding it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the principles thereof may be employed in the manufacture of a great many other articles, and with an imitation wood grain of other woods than Walnut. The scope of the invention is therefore not to be limited to the specific method described in detail, but according to the following claims:

What is claimed is as follows:

1. The steps in the method of reproducing wood grain on sheet nitrocellulose compound comprising: applying a coating of nitrocellulose lacquer upon the wood surface to be reproduced, removing this coating while wet from said wood surface but leav ing the lacquer in the grain depressions thereof, pressing a transparent sheet of nitrocellulose compound against said Wood surface while the lacquer thereon is still wet whereby the lacquer in the grain depressions thereof is caused to adhere to the trans parent sheet and thus form a reproduction of wood grain thereon. I

2. The method of reproducing wood grain, on sheet material comprising: applying a coating of nitrocellulose lacquer upon the wood surface to be reproduced, removing this coating while Wet from said wood surface but leaving the lacquer in the grain depressions thereof, pressing a transparent sheet of nitrocellulose compound against said wood surface While the lacquer thereon is still wet whereby the lacquer in the grain depressions thereof is caused to adhere to the transparent sheet and thus form a reproduction of wood grain thereon, permitting this grain coating to dry, and then applying a back-ground coating over the grain reproduction on the sheet.

3. The steps in the method of reproducing Wood grain on sheet nitrocellulose compound comprising: applying a coating of nitrocellulose lacquer upon the wood surface to be reproduced, removing this coating While wet from said wood surface but leaving the lacquer in the grain depressions thereof, pressing a transparent sheet of nitrocellulose compound, having its contacting surface first softened With a coating of solvent, against said wood surface while the lacquer thereon is still wet, whereby the lacquer in the grain depressions is caused to adhere to the softened surface of the sheet, and then permitting this grain coat ing to dry.

4. The method of reproducing wood grain on sheet celluloid comprising: applying a coating of nitrocellulose lamauer upon the wood surface to be reproduce removr be reproduced, scraping the coating while wet from said wood surface but leaving the lacquer in the grain depressions therein, pressing a sheet of transparent celluloid, having its contacting surface first softened with a coating of solvent, against this Wood surface whereby the undried lacquer in the grain depressions is picked up by the softened celluloid, permitting the grain reproduction to dry, applying a back-ground coating over the grain reproduction on the celluloid, and then applying the coated surface of the sheet celluloid to a core of the desired shape.

6. The method of making imitation wood comprising: applying a coating of introcellulose lacquer upon the wood surface to be reproduced, removing this coating while wet from said wood surface but leaving the lacquer in the grain depressions therein, pressing a sheet of transparent celluloid, having its contacting surface first softened with a coating of solvent, against this wood surface whereby the undried lacquer in the grain depressions is picked up by the softened celluloid, permitting the grain reproduction to dry, applying a back-ground coating over the grain reproduction on the celluloid, softening the celluloid sheet by means of heat and moisture, and then applying the coated surface of the sheet to a core of the desired shape.

7 The method of making imitation Wood comprising: applying a coating of nitrocellulose lacquer upon the wood surface to be reproduced, removing the coating While wet from said wood surface but leaving the lacquer in the grain depressions therein, pressing a sheet of transparent celluloid having its contacting surface first softened with a coating of solvent, against this wood surface whereby the undried lacquer in the grain depressions is picked up by the softened celluloid, permitting the grain reproduction to dry, applying a back-ground coating of nitrocellulose lacquer over the grain reproduction on the celluloid, softening the coated surface of the celluloid with a nitrocellulose solvent, and then firmly applying the softened surface of the sheet upon a core of the desired shape. I

8. The method of making imitation wood comprising: applying a coatin of nitrocellulose lacquer upon the woo surface to bereproduced, removing the coatin while wet from said wood surface but leaving the lacquer in the grain depressions therein, pressing a sheet of transparent celluloid, having its contacting surface first softened with a coating of solvent, against this wood surface whereby the undried lacquer in the grain depressions is picked up by the softened celluloid, permltting the ain reproduction to dry, applying a ack-ground coating of nitrocellulose lacquer overthe grain reproduction on the celluloid, soften- 1:

shape, whereby the softened surface of the 2 sheet acts as a bond the rubber core.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

between the sheet and HARVEY D. GEYER. 

